Addon Manager with FS9 patched for more than 2GB of RAM

[MeatWater]

In order to prevent OOM errors I have enabled the >2GB switch in the header of the FS9.exe which is a common workaround. However, bglman.dll refuses to load when FS is started via this modified exe. Could this please be updated? Possibly bglman.dll "thinks" it is being decompiled which of course isn't the case.

[virtuali]

No, it doesn't depend on the Addon Manager itself. There are no explicit checks made on FS9.EXE, and it doesn't even change if one has the official FS9.EXE or a modified FS9.EXE to bypass the CD check at start. In both cases, Addon Manager will work.

Instead, the fact that you changed the memory allocation for the FS9 executable (I presume you added the /LARGEADDRESSAWARE flag), might lead to believe that this has an unexpected effect on the internal allocation of FS modules, confusing bglman.dll, that expects some things to be at a specific address in ram. There are some safety measures, because (for example) the different ram allocation of different mainboards based on agp, pci or pci-express, is already taken care of. But apparently, the /LARGEADDRESSAWARE flag does something else.

Well, my compliements to you because that "common workaround" is not really *that* common, since you are the first to report this problem since 2005 when we started usign Addon Manager...

I might have a look into it, but I can't promise anything.

[MeatWater]

Thank you Umberto for the quick reply. Out of memory errors have become quite frequent in the past months, as people now finally start having the required hardware to push sliders to the right - at least in FS9. Most do not understand that - while the hardware itself might be capeable of coping with this - the operating system(s) start beeing the bottleneck. As you may know, neither FS9.exe nor FSX.exe are capeable of limiting their request for virtual memory to a value within limits predicted by the operating systems. Microsoft have build a patch for Vista, but in Windows XP the problem still prevails.

The tweak I use sort of tells both the application and the operating system that it is OK to ask for more virtual memory - as long as it is there. It allows the *.exe file to go "the official way" when asking for that extra chew,  and tells the operating system not to panic in that case, a reaction that brought up the infamous "OOM" error message. Aircraft like the Flight1 Super 80 or PMDG 747 have become almost unflyable when using high detail settings flying into sophisticated sceneries like Zurich, Heathrow and others.

Using this workaround, all is fine and stable again. I can now enjoy the full range of possibilities given by both the hardware and flightsim add ons at a level never seen before.

Add to that the fact that FS of course isn't the only application that can profit from this setting: it works with a wide range of apps, such as video- and audio-editing software optimizing the memory usage of Windows in a way it should have been right from the start.

It would be a very high price though to trade in all bglman.dll dependant software in order to get this huge improvement, so please look into this. There's nothing like an IFR approach to LSZH in the VC of a high-end airliner with all sliders to the right. Do that without the tweak, and you'll get the OOM in 8 out of 10 cases. With the tweak, you just enjoy flying.

GERMAN READERS go HERE for a tutorial on how to apply the fix:

http://forum.flightxpress.net/showthread.php?tid=3840&pid=39919#pid39919

[Sylle]

Hi Meatwater!

I'm sorry I can't help you with the problem you describe but...
Out of curiosity, can I ask what PC config you are using?

I looking to buy a new PC and I'm collecting as much info as I can about this OOM problems...

Thanks,
Sylvain

[MeatWater]

Hi Meatwater!

I'm sorry I can't help you with the problem you describe but...
Out of curiosity, can I ask what PC config you are using?

I looking to buy a new PC and I'm collecting as much info as I can about this OOM problems...

Thanks,
Sylvain

My specs are way too oversized for FS9 and even too much for FSX because I need the same pc to work (dv editing and audio production), therefore it wouldn't be a useful target to aim for (Quad6600 with 8GB RAM...you get the picture  )

[Sylle]

My specs are way too oversized for FS9 and even too much for FSX because I need the same pc to work (dv editing and audio production), therefore it wouldn't be a useful target to aim for (Quad6600 with 8GB RAM...you get the picture  )

Errr I see yes  Thanks for your reply!

And you are actually still running Xp on that Rig? I thought XP could not use anything in excess of 3Gb RAM...

S.

[MeatWater]

I am running a triple boot config, XP for FS2004, Vista1 for FSX and Vista2 for most of the work. That way each version of FS gets the optimum environment. There is no use of more than 3GB for FS2004 anyway, even at peaks it wouldn't require more than 2GB.

[tompie]

Silvain, you still can get a nice computer when having lesser specs(as well as a lower price)!
try for example: a good intel P35 MB(asus P5K for example but other brands as well, google to Tom's hardware); Intel E6750 or E6850 dual core processor; DDR2 Ram 2x1Gb 800 Mhz/PC6400 or 1066 Mhz/PC8500; 2 HD's, one for the system(like the fast WD raptor 35 or 74 Gb, 10000rpm), the other for FS(can be any brand or size and 7400rpm);the new Nvidia 8800 GT video card, almost as fast as the 8800GTX, but way chaeper!. You'll need a power supply of at least 600 W, and a housing with extra fan(s).
You can run either FS9 or FSX with either XP or Vista with these specs. Have fun!
tompie

[Rudderduck]

Please have look at this bglman.dll issue with the modified fs9.exe Umberto. I miss your beautiful airports without it!

[virtuali]

As I've said, the only think I can promise, is to investigate the issue. However, I'm not sure at this time if it can be solved. The only thing that's for sure, it's not intentional. The Addon Manager doesn't check and doesn't care at all if FS9.EXE is altered. The problem seems to be a side effect of the new memory allocation strategy in >2GB mode.

[MeatWater]

As I've said, the only think I can promise, is to investigate the issue. However, I'm not sure at this time if it can be solved. The only thing that's for sure, it's not intentional. The Addon Manager doesn't check and doesn't care at all if FS9.EXE is altered. The problem seems to be a side effect of the new memory allocation strategy in >2GB mode.

This would be really very much apprechiated! I got a lot of positive feedback meanwhile, the sollution works indeed for most users and even improves performance on systems that did NOT suffer from the OOM-issue, so anyone else might give it a try as well.

[virtuali]

We just released a test version that should work, look the top of the forum.

[Rudderduck]

Great news! I'll try it after work today. Thank you very big Umberto!

[MeatWater]

YOWZA! It works like a charm.

Just to avoid misunderstanding: on XP systems still try the 2560 value first, as higher values may result in XP instability. The new bglman.dll works very well with the value set to 2560!

Thank you Umberto!

[HHH]

Hi!

I just installed the new Addonmangager, but i get the following error messages:

 - For security purposes, this program will not run while system debuggers are active. Please remove or disable the system debugger before trying to run this program again.

-  then FS tells me that bglman.dll couldnt be loaded

I use Win XP Home and Kaspersky Inet Sec 7.0.

Oliver